Spring Beauty Courtyard

The woman casually took out a plaque and drew a check mark on it with a pen.

She gave a dazzling, alluring smile. "I never have to worry when you're on the job. We've exceeded this month's target again."

The woman walked over and opened the sack.

Qimu De poked his head out, his face deathly pale, gasping for breath.

"...You... please let me go... I'll pay you. Whatever my enemies offered, I'll double it.

No! Triple it."

The woman lifted his chin. "Sorry, handsome. We're professionals."

Her eyes were beautiful yet eerie.

A faint, elusive smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, giving her a sly air.

A chill settled in Qimu De's heart. He clenched his fists and lunged, attempting one last struggle.

But before he could reach her, a heavy blow struck his lower back.

His entire body went numb, and he collapsed onto the floor.

The woman clapped her hands. "Take him to the clients. They said they wanted him alive.

Oh, and ask whether they need any torture instruments while you're there. We can supply those for a fee."

Two subordinates hauled Qimu De away.

"Here, your commission."

Li Ping'an took the pouch and hefted it.

He thanked her and turned to leave.

"Hey, don't rush off. I've got something else to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I got the medicinal ingredients you asked me to buy."

The woman placed several packets of ingredients for Life-Pulse Powder on the table.

"Thank you."

"By the way, are you free tomorrow? Have a drink with me."

"For work?" Li Ping'an asked.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Can't you do anything besides work? Come drinking with me tomorrow. Just the two of us~"

"The doctor said I shouldn't drink alcohol lately."

"Then tea."

"Tea's no good either."

"Get out!"

Li Ping'an raised his hand to catch the teacup she hurled at him and smiled. "I'll be going, then."

The woman was the proprietress of the Spring Beauty Courtyard, known as Ma Sanniang.

She was the third-born in her family. Her husband had died years ago, and afterward she had opened the Spring Beauty Courtyard.

In these parts, an ordinary businessperson could barely scrape by.

Ma Sanniang secretly maintained a group of retainers. Some were martial artists fallen on hard times; others were frontier soldiers who had committed crimes...

They specialized in handling jobs for money.

Because they followed a strict code in their dealings, they had earned a modest reputation locally.

Li Ping'an had met Ma Sanniang by chance, which gave him a way to earn commissions.

In the Anbei Four Garrisons, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, he had bought a small, detached house of his own.

The moment Li Ping'an stepped out of Ma Sanniang's room, he heard heart-rending screams from the room next door.

It was Qimu De's voice.

He had tortured and murdered four women, including the married woman.

Now the ones exacting vengeance on him were those four women's families.

Back home, Li Ping'an began preparing dinner.

There were leftover stir-fried potatoes and rice noodles from breakfast, along with two rounds of naan. He only needed to warm them up.

Old Ox lay on the floor, carefully reading that day's official gazette.

He mooed as he read.

"Moo, moo, moo~"

Li Ping'an ate his naan, nodding from time to time.

Although he could not see, Old Ox could read and do many things in his place.

Such as... reading the newspaper.

From the newspaper, Li Ping'an learned that Liu Yun had returned safely to the palace.

The official newspaper had devoted a lengthy, lavishly worded editorial to praising the Princess.

After dinner, Li Ping'an cultivated as usual.

The upgrade to The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring had brought his body to a new level.

His internal organs functioned increasingly well, his meridians flowed freely, and his vitality, energy, and spirit had all noticeably improved.

Still, losing an arm continued to cause him some discomfort.

Although he could now use true qi to play the erhu,

he could only use one hand when performing in the street.

One hand could play only portions of a melody, leaving the scale incomplete and hindering the tune.

So Li Ping'an often held a specially made wooden stick between his teeth.

Anyone who saw him could only marvel at how impressive he was.

In reality, Li Ping'an had infused it with a little true qi. Ordinary people naturally could not tell and thought the wooden stick was doing the work.

Knock, knock!

Someone knocked at the door.

Old Ox rose from the floor and opened it.

A little girl dressed in pink stood outside, holding a jar.

The girl's large eyes, with their sharply contrasting black and white, were lovely.

"Uncle, my big sister asked Aliya to bring you this soup."

Li Ping'an smiled. "Thank your big sister for me."

The little girl puffed out her cheeks and stared at Li Ping'an.

Li Ping'an patted her head. "And thank you too, Aliya."

Only then did Aliya break into a grin. She spread her little arms and threw herself onto Old Ox.

Aliya and Duha were his next-door neighbors.

The elder sister, Duha, ran a general store, selling flowers and local handicrafts such as bracelets.

Their father had reportedly followed a caravan deep into the desert to hunt for treasure five years ago and had never returned.

The two sisters had remained here ever since, waiting for their father to come home.

When Li Ping'an first moved in, he happened upon Aliya stuck in a tree, bawling her eyes out.

He had helped the unfamiliar little girl down.

Seeing that Li Ping'an was disabled, Duha often brought him food, daily necessities, and the like.

Over time, they became well acquainted.

Li Ping'an still had to take his Life-Pulse Powder later, so he left Old Ox in charge of looking after the child.

Old Ox rolled his eyes. Just as I thought, I'm the one keeping this household afloat~

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Ping'an still left early and returned late, occasionally picking up a job or two at the Spring Beauty Courtyard to earn some money.

Some went toward his everyday expenses, and some toward buying Life-Pulse Powder.

He still spent most of his time busking in the streets.

[The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring LV3 (50/10000)]

After all this time, The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring had gained only 50 points.

As its level rose, its progress grew slower and slower.

Even now, he still did not know what effect level 3 had brought.

Li Ping'an was in no hurry.

Although he now had only one hand, true qi allowed him to control every note perfectly.

It also trained his fine control over true qi, steadily honing his strength.

That day, just as Li Ping'an returned home, he noticed an extra pebble on the bluestone paving.

This was the signal he and Ma Sanniang had agreed upon. There was another commission.

Li Ping'an was in no rush and walked into his little courtyard.

A glittering strand of golden light pierced the thin clouds and fell into the courtyard.

A few clumps of grass grew there, along with several fragrant little flowers in full bloom.

A breeze drifted past, carrying their fragrance to his nose.

In the very center of the courtyard stood a date palm.

Dates looked much like jujubes, but they were not jujubes.

Dried in the desert air, dates turned dark brown on the outside.

When broken open beneath the sunlight, their flesh glistened with sugar, sweet and enticing.

They were rather like sweetened candied fruit.

Some religions held dates especially dear, believing that these desert-grown fruits were food bestowed by God.

In a few more days, they should be fully ripe.

He could keep some to eat himself and give away the rest, or sell a portion.

Li Ping'an picked up a fallen leaf between his fingers and flicked it with a whoosh.

It struck a date with perfect accuracy, knocking it down.

Li Ping'an wiped it with his hand, took a bite, and nodded in satisfaction.

Only then did he close the door and leave the courtyard.